1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to water control, and more particularly to apparatus for preventing water overflow from a building drainage system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is a common practice to construct homes and other buildings with ground water collection systems. Typically, the collection system includes a sump built into the basement or other lowermost floor. Tile and stone are set in place around and under the building periphery and are led to the sump. Ground and rain water adjacent the building is directed to the sump, from which it is removed by a sump pump and discharged at a location away from the building. Normally, the sump pump is actuated by a float switch to operate only when a predetermined height of water has collected in the sump.
Unfortunately, during times of heavy rainfall or rapid snow melting, water may collect in the sump faster than the pump can remove it. In addition, electrical power failure and float switch malfunction can prevent water that accumulates at even a normal rate from being properly removed. In those situations, the sump overflows. The results associated with sump overflow are well known. They range from minor inconvenience to major loss of property. Further, even with a properly functioning system, the building owner is subjected to worry lest his system fails at a critical time. He is therefore apt to forego leaving the premises in order to keep a watch on his collection system.
Some attempts have been made to solve the problem of an overflowing sump. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,562,982 shows a building wall having cement blocks with slots in them. The slotted blocks open into adjacent slotted blocks and also into a gravel bed under the building floor. Water collecting under the floor flows through the slots into the blocks, where it evaporates or is led by an underground pipe from the building. In one embodiment, water in the blocks is led to a sump, from which it is pumped by a conventional sump pump. The system of the U.S. Pat. No. 3,562,982 cannot protect against overflow of the sump or against water back-flowing through the slotted wall blocks.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,990,469 describes a channel of angle irons sealed to the building floor along the interior walls. The channels lead to a drain. Water leaking through the walls collects in the channels and flows to the drain. In addition to the unsightly nature of the wall angle iron channels, there is no provision in the structure of the U.S. Pat. No. 3,990,469 to prevent overflowing of the drain.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,553,561 discloses one or more large containers placed over a sump for retaining excess sump water. The excess water is stored in the containers, from which the water is drained through valved outlets. The uppermost container is covered. The apparatus of the U.S. Pat. No. 4,553,561 is undesirably large, complicated, and expensive. Moreover, use of an expensive submersible pump is required.
Thus, a need exists for a simple and reliable device for controlling sump overflow.